7/30/2019 5 Things NOT to Do With Upset Customers

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Title:5ThingsNOTtoDoWithUpsetCustomers

WordCount:756

Summary:Learnexactlywhatnottodowhendealingwithupsetcustomers.

Keywords:difficultcustomers,customerservice

ArticleBody:AcoupleofmonthsagoIhadasmallkitchenfireinmyhome.Alliswellnow,butforafewdaysmyfamilyandIcampedoutinahotelroomandoncewereturnedhomewehadnooven(itwasdestroyedinthefire)sowewereforcedtoeateverymealoutforseveraldays.

Onthedayofthefiretworepresentativesfromtheinsurancecompanytoldmeto"Holdontoyourmealreceipts,sendthemtousandwe'llcoveryourmealsplussalestax."Afterthecontractorsrestoredmyhomeandwesettledbackin,IwaspreparingtomailinmymealreceiptsforreimbursementandIgavemyadjuster

aquickcallbeforedroppingtheenvelopeofreceiptsinthemail.Heexplainedthatreimbursementwasactuallyfor50%ofmealsandnot100%.Whileapartialadjustmentmadesensetome,Iclearlyrecalledtwocompanyrepresentativespromisingto"covermealsplussalestax."

Myadjusterbecamesarcasticanddefensiveinbothhiswordsandtoneandsaid,"Nooneinthisentirecompanywouldhavetoldyouwecover100%ofmeals.Ourpolicyistocover50%becauseyouwouldhavebeeneatingevenifthefirehadnotoccurred."

Iwaslivid.Nowit'snolongerabouttheissue,it'sabouttheprinciple.SowhatdidIdo?Iassembledallthefactsthatsupportedmycase,presentedanopeningargumenttothecompany'scorporateofficecalmlyandmethodically,andfina

llydeliveredaferventandsuccinctsummationofmyevidenceandclosedthedeal---walkingawaywith100%ofmymealcharges.

Here'sthelessonhere:Hadtheclaimsadjusterdoneandsaidtherightthingsduringmyinitialphonecall,thecompanywouldhavebeenabletoresolvethisproblemwithasimpleexplanationandapology.Instead,theypaidoutnearly$200morethantheyhadtoandhadtospend10minuteslisteningtomycase.

Thiscostlyscenarioisplayedoutcountlesstimeseverydaythroughouttheservicesectorbecauseemployeesdon'tknowhowtocommunicatewithupsetcustomerswithdiplomacyandtactandinsuchawaythatcreatescalmandgoodwill.

Inmycase,hadtheclaimsadjusterrespondedwith,"Whatweweretryingtoexplainisthatyourpolicycovers50%ofyourmealsplussalestax.Youwouldhavebeenoutofexpensesformealsevenifyouhadnotexperiencedtheregretfulfire.Wetrytominimizeyourinconvenienceduringyourlossbycoveringexpensesaboveandbeyondyournormalmealexpenses.Doesthismakesense?I'msosorryforanyinconveniencethismisunderstandinghascausedyou."

ThisapproachcertainlymadesenseandIwouldhaveverylikelyacceptedthe50%policy.Butinstead,theclaimadjuster'sattitudeincitedmeandIwasdeterminedtoacceptnothingbutfullreimbursement.Thewrongapproachtoanalreadyu

7/30/2019 5 Things NOT to Do With Upset Customers

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psetcustomeronlymakesthemmoreforcefulandoftenresultsinamuchhigherpayoutfromthecompany.Idon'twantyoutohavetopayonedollarmorethanyouabsolutelyhavetoandtohelpyoumanagecostsbetterI'llgiveyou5thingsnottodowithupsetcustomers.

1.Don'ttellacustomertheyarewrong.Tellingyourcustomerheiswrongarousesoppositionandwillmakethecustomerwanttobattlewithyou.It'sdifficult,undereventhemostbenignsituationstochangepeople'sminds.Sowhymakeyourjobharderbystartingoutonthewrongfoot.

2.Don'targuewithacustomer.Youcanneverwinanargumentwithyourcustomers.Certainly,youcanproveyourpointandevenhavethelastword,youmayevenberight,butasfaraschangingyourcustomer'smindisconcerned,youwillprobablybejustasfutileasifyouwerewrong.

3.Don'tspeakwithauthoritativetoneasifyouhavetoprovethecustomerwrong.Evenwhenthecustomeriswrong,thisisnotanappropriateresponse,asitwillputthecustomeronthedefense.

4.Don'tsay,"Wewouldneverdothat."Insteadtry,"Tellmeaboutthat."

5.Don'tbeafraidtoapologize.Offeranapologyevenwhenthecustomerisatfault.Anapologyisnotadmissionoffault.Itcanbeofferedtoexpr

essregret.Forexample,"I'msosorryforanyinconveniencethismisunderstandinghascausedyou."

Neverforgetinproblemsituationstheissueisnottheissue.Thewaytheissueishandledbecomestheissue.